Blueprint reeling device



June 1950 o. R. BARBER ETAL 2,510,053

BLUEPRINT REELING DEVICE Filed May 8, 1945 FIG. 6 5162.

II i l.

INVENTORS 3a ODDOUS R. BARBER JAMES J. MCSWEENEY ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES ATEN'E' OFFICE BLUEPRINE REELING DEVICE Oddous R. Barber, Lynn, and James J. McSweeney, Roxbury, Mass.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines for processing continuous sheets of material. More particularly, it relates to a reeling device for collecting blueprints from a continuous process blueprint machine.

The continuous process type of blueprint machine employs a roll of coated paper. Unexposed paper from the roll is fed into the machine in an unbroken sheet and is not cut into sections before being printed and processed. The roll is attached at one end of the machine, and the paper, as it comes from the roll, is passed under a battery of lights, through processing liquids, and over drying rolls. The processed paper is delivered at a fairly high speed at one end of the machine in a single continuous sheet.

The usual type of machine in use pr or to this invention utilizes a series of moving belts to collect the finished sheet of processed and dr ed paper. The sheet is fed between the belts and is wound by them into a rough ro l. This roll is bulky and loosely wound and is diflicult to handle. In addition, the constant presence of an attendant is required to prevent the roll becoming fouled or snagged in the belts.

Moreover, the rolls formed by the belts have no smooth inner hole. The edge of the inner end of the paper upon w ich a roll is formed is rough and jagged and tends to fill up the central portion of the roll. As a result, when a roll is removed from the machine, it is difficult to handle. It is common practice to mount roll upon a rod of circular cross-section for ease in unrolling prints from the roll and otherwise handling the completed prints. When the roll has no smooth center hole, it is difiicult to force the rod through the center of the roll. In addition, the inner convolutions of the roll may be pushed. out of shape by the rod and some of the prints on the inner portion of the roll may be injured.

It is an object of this invention to provide an eiiicient device for collecting a. finished continuous sheet of material from a processing machine.

It is a further object of this invention to pro- Vide a reeling device for collecting finished continuous sheet material in a compact, tightly wound, neat roll which can be easily handled.

This invention provides, in conjunction with a machine for processing a continuous sheet of material, a device for collecting the sheet which device comprises a rod upon which the sheet is wound, means for supporting the rod so that it can rotate, a means for attaching the sheet to the rod, and a means for rotating the rod in such a manner that a continuous tension is maintained on the sheet during the rotation of the rod.

With the above and other objects and features in view, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and will be pointed out in the claim.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly cut away, showing one end of a continuous process blueprint machine with a reeling device installed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view. partly in section, of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View, partly broken away, showin details of the supporting means for one end of the reeling device and of the means for attaching paper to the reeling device.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view, partly cut away, of the reeling device.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is shown associated with a continuous process blueprint machine which includes a framework I. Mounted on the framework i are rollers 2, 3, and i which serve to guide the continuous sheet 5 in the usual way. A chain drive 6, driven by a source of power not shown, rotates a sprocket l which, in turn, rotates the roller 4 by means of a gear drive 8 as shown in Fig. 1. The sheet 5 of blueprint paper passes over the ro lers 2 and 3, which are idle rollers, and then passes over the powered roller i. machine not shown, the sheet 5 is exposed to light, processed and dried. The processed sheet,

after leaving the roller 4, is ready to be removed from the machine.

Before this invention was developed, finished paper was collected between two series of converging moving belts, indicated at 9 and I0 in Fig.

1. The series of belts 9 is driven by the roller [2' and rides around the rollers H and I2. The belts 9 serve to hold the sheet of paper 5 against the powered roller 4 and permit the powered roller 4 to drive the sheet. The belts ID are driven by the roller 12 and ride around the rollers I2 and it. A chain drive 14 driven by a source of power not shown rotates the roller l2 to drive the belts 9 and Ill. The old method was to permit paper, as it came from the roller 4, to be collected between the belts 5} and I8 to form a loose roll as shown by broken lines "at 15 in Fig. 1. This method has been found unsatisfactory because the roll formed between the belts 9 and I0 is rough and bulky. Also the space between the belts 9 and I 0 rapidly fills with finished paper,

In a part of the blueprint and an attendant must be present at all times to tend the belts and remove rolls of paper. Moreover, the roll formed by the belts tends to move from side to side upon the belts and bounce up and down with irregularities in the belts. As a result, the layers of paper formed on the roll do not lie smoothly one upon the other and the roll formed does not have even smooth sides and is not tightly wound.

This invention provides a reeling device which collects processed paper in the form of a smooth roll which has a uniform well-formed inner hole and in which each convolution of the roll lies smoothly and tightly upon the convolution below 7 it with the ends of all convolutions in the same plane.

Details of the reeling device are shown best in Figs. 3 and i. The reeling device comprises two supports l6 and I7, which are firmly attached to the sides of the framework and which support a rod [8 on which the sheet is wound, that has a clamp l9 associated therewith for connecting the end of the sheet thereto. The support IE (Fig. 4) comprises a supporting bracket and three pairs of rollers 23, 2 3, and (Fig. 1) arranged to form a cradle for the left-hand end (Fig. 4) of the rod IS. The circular rollers 23, 24, and 25 can be ball bearings, roller bearings, or other appropriate bearings which can support rotatably the end of the rod [8 which is of circular cross-section. The bracket 29 is firmly aifixed to the left-hand side of the framework 5 of the machine and carries the circular rollers 23, 24, and 25. The support i l for the right-hand end of the rod I8, like the support iii, comprises a supporting bracket 25, which is firmly afiixed to the right-hand side (Fig. 4) of the framework 2, and three circular rollers 2l,- 28, and i9 which are also arranged to form a cradle to support rotatably the right-hand end of the rod [8.

Finished paper coming from the roller 4 of the blueprint machine is led to the rod l8 and is attached to the rod by means of the clamp i9 (Fig. 3). The clamp l9 may be made of resilient metal or other resilient material and is somewhat longer than the width of the paper II but not so long as the rod 58. It is of C-shape cross section in order that it may quickly and easily be fitted around the rod l8 to attach the end of the sheet 5 to the reeling device. It is of slightly less diameter than rod It so that it will clamp the paper to the rod. Paper is attached to the rod M3 by means of the C-shape clamp such a manher that both of the ends of the clamp project beyond the paper as shown in Fig. 4;

The end 39 of the paper is allowed to overlap the rod IS a considerable extent (Fig. 3) before being clamped thereto. As shown in Fig. 1, the rod 18 is revolved in a clockwise direction by a belt 31' which is passed around it and which is driven by the roller H. The end 30 of the paper passes between the clamp 59 and the rod l8 and is folded up over the outer surface of the clamp I9 to form a smooth fold along the forward edge of the clamp i9. The rearwardly directed end 39 of the paper, which is jagged and rough, overlaps the upper surface of the sheet and becomes buried inside the roll as the rod I8 rotates. Consequently, the inner hole of the roll is not filled with a rough jagged end.

The belt 3|, which serves to drive the reeling device, is made of a smooth-surfaced elastic material such as rubber. Power is supplied to the belt 3| from the roller ii (Fig. 1) which in turn is driven by the series of belts 9. The surface of roller 4 frictionally drives the sheet 5 and the belt 9 at the same speed. The belt 9 drives the roller II which, in turn, moves the belt 3| at the same speed of travel of the sheet 5 and the belt 3| drives the rod l8. However, due to the fact that as the sheet winds on the rod l8 the forming roll of paper is of greater diameter than rod [8, there is a constant tension on the sheet as it is wound on the roll. However, the sheet will not tear due to the fact that the belt 3| is free to slip relative to roller H and rod I8.

It will b'enoted that the cradles for supporting the rod l8, formed by rollers 23, 24, and 25 at the left-hand end and by rollers 21, 28, and 29 at the right-hand end, are so arranged that gravity tends to hold the rod in the cradles. In addition, the bar I8 is held in place upon supports l6 and IT by means of the elastic belt 3| and a hook 33 shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The belt Si is constructed to exert a continuous pullupon the rod 19 and. forces the left-hand end of the'rod to ride in intimate contact with the circular rollers 23, 2-4, and 25 (Fig. 1). The hook 33 holds the right-hand end of the rod H3 in place against circular rollers 21, 23, and 29 as shown in Fig. 3.

When it is necessary to remove a roll of paper from the reeling device, the left-hand end of the rod I8 is pulled forward out of its cradle, stretching the elastic belt 3! (Fig. 4), and the belt is then slipped off the end of the rod. The righthand end of the rod I9 is also similarly removed from its cradle, the hook 33 being first swung out of position. The roll 32 of processed blueprint sheet is removed with the rod [8 and the C-shape clamp 19 all in place. The rod It can th n be removed from the completed roll leaving the roll supported upon the clamp l9, which forms-a permanent core.

The roll 32 can b carried and handled by means of the extending ends of the clamp without the paper in the roll being touched. As already pointed out, it is common practice to mount a roll upon a second rod for ease in unrolling paper from the roll. The clamp I 9 is left in the roll 92 until after it has been mounted on the second rod. Thus, the center hole of the roll is held smooth by the clamp while the second rod is being inserted and the inner convolutions of the roll remain smooth and are not pushed out of shape by insertion of the second rod. After the roll has been mounted on the second rod, the clamp can be withdrawn and is read for use in forming another roll.

The reeling device devised in accordance with this invention operates automatically. The presence of an attendant is required only when a roll is being started or when a completed roll is bein removed from the reeling device.

This invention has been described with reference to a machine for making blueprints. However, it can be adapted readily for collecting a sheet of material from other types of processing machines and numerous other applications of this invention will be apparent.

The invention described herein may be manneporting the ends of said rod, said means comprising a plurality of rollers arranged to form a cradle for each end of said rod, said cradle having an opening therein readily permitting movement 0? the end of said rod into and out of said cradle, said cradle being so arranged that the end of said rod will be maintained in position by the force of gravity, an elastic belt, said elastic belt passing over said rod to provide driving means for said rod, said elastic belt extending oppositely from said opening in said cradle, the elastic force in said elastic belt tending to force the end of said rod into said cradle, a hook, said hook attached to one of said supports for maintaining one end of said rod in its associated cradle, and a clamp, for securing said sheet of material to said rod, said clamp having a C-shape cross-section so that it will embrace and grip said rod, said clamp being of such a length as to extend beyond said sheet of material, readily permitting removal of 20 said clamp and said rod from the center of the roll of said sheet of material.

ODDOUS R. BARBER. JAMES J. MGSWEENEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,102,353 Pease July 7, 1914 1,347,884 White et a1. July 2'7, 1920 1,357,385 Deputy Nov. 2, 1920 1,414,809 Hosking Ma 2, 1922 2,102,446 Wallace Dec. 14, 1937 2,193,031 Lyman et a1 Mar. 12, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 439,565 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1935 

